Sorcerous Scrutinies: The Protectorate of Jenulane

 The Protectorate of Jenulane

A One-on-One Adventure for Characters Levels 0-2 by Nick Baran

Breaker Press Games

A strained cry emerges from the brush before you, hastening your steps through the dreamy, mist-laden forest.  A clearing emerges, and a senior is lying wounded on the dirt ahead, apparently wounded by some unseen creature.  The man does not speak, but moans in pain.  You draw your longsword, clutch your symbol of Gorhan, and advance with caution.

    You move closer to the man and prepare to douse his wounds in your Clove Oil, but a cloud of darkness explodes beside you; a phantom helm emerges.  You turn, but too slow, and the animated helm bashes into your skull, sending you reeling backwards.  You flail your longsword in vain, a feeble attempt.

    “Improve, or die!” a voice emanates from the clearing itself. 

    You wipe the blood from your nose and shake your head.  Bravery and blood, sword and shield, you think.  Sudden strength floods your limbs, and a fire lights behind your eyes.  

    “For Gorhan!” you scream, as you charge forward and swing with all your might…

What It Is

The Protectorate of Jenulane is a terrific 2024 release by Nick Baran of Breaker Press Games that operates on two levels: first a regional supplement filled with interesting NPCs, treasures and hooks for your players, and second a one-on-one adventure module for characters level 0-2 (I found the Path of the Valorous most appropriate for a level 0).

    The former half of Protectorate is a regional supplement that describes the Tower of Jenulane in great detail.  It has fallen upon hard times, and could use a hand from a pack of traveling adventurers.  A quick read will orient judges and prepare them for the curiosity of players, and the cast is varied enough to provide a number of interesting mini-quests and interactions.  Though rooted in Baran’s Stennard setting, I think the Tower could easily be plopped into any DCC setting as a waystation in between modules amidst an adventure path.  

    The one-on-one adventure module is a unique, randomly generated sequence of challenges that culminates when the PC has triumphed over five of the possible twelve encounters.  We see traps, riddles, natural hazards, and good old combat, interspersed with three (also random) special additions to encounters: the avatar, the adversary and victim.  These random factors create a sense of the unknown that’s quite distinct from a traditional funnel module like Portal (that essentially plays out in a similar way with each table).  You and your players should be surprised each time you run through!

At The Table

A while back, I first used the Tower of Jenulane as a waystation between Doom of the Savage Kings and The Emerald Enchanter for one of my tables, and only recently used the supplement as a one-on-one funnel for one of my players.

    Regarding my first experience, my heirs to the Jarldom of Hirot were encouraged by their supplicant Karls to venture out and discover the root of the evil that plagues the region.  This led them to explore the region map (made player-ready by u/Coconibz ), and I recall placing the Tower on one of the plateaus or circular clearings in a northern forest.  

    The players bumbled upon the Tower, and immediately fell under the spell of the beautiful and enigmatic Gaoler.  They ran afoul of the treacherous tax collector, and before you knew it a quest was afoot to right the evils of the place.  The NPC blocks Baran prepared are terrific for this sort of play, you can give players a glance at the character they’re speaking to, and offer some crucial tidbits of description to help them put the whole puzzle together.  The party was successful in their endeavor, but denied the opportunity to undergo the challenge of Gorhan.

    I had to wait months for my next opportunity; a couple came over and I stole my best buddy as his fiance chatted with my wife about an upcoming trip they were planning.  I knew we wouldn’t need long, and indeed the adventure portion of the module moves incredibly quickly with just one player, it’s a blast to rip through with a good friend.  I busted out my lenormand and tarot decks and we were off to the races.  

    Depending on your player and the sequence you get, the module could definitely prove deadly, but my player was a hot roller and used his luck well; we had a great time and emerged with a mighty level 1 Warrior of Gorhan.

 

Play Highlights

The Path of the Valorous is really a string of highlights, but my player particularly enjoyed the thought of his Hound avatar hopping over the post clearing, the mystery of the Grove of Self-Determination (which led to the somber Sarcophagus of the Faithful and a crucial Strength bonus).  Our fifth and final encounter was a great opportunity for character building roleplay; we generated a manipulative murderer in the Jack encounter and made Gorhan proud with my player’s choices.  

    I chose Method 2 for the Path (the player chooses between two possible cards for each encounter), and it seemed to empower my player and enhance his sense of adventure as he wound through the diverging paths, following his whim. 

Art Spotlight

The book looks sharp, and features some lovely full page spreads and a wealth of helpful maps, but my favorite pieces are the portraits on pages 5-7.  They set the tone of the Protectorate so well, and hearken back to an earlier time in gaming.  We can see the pride and world-weariness of Glendall, the arrogant confidence of Lastor, and the mad gaze of Old Durman.  Reading through Baran’s NPC gallery brought me back to my younger self, happily lost in the illustrated pages of the Heroes’ Lorebook.

Judge Takeaways

Try Tarot

Baran incorporates a deck of playing cards into the random generation of the adventure, but why not ramp up the mysticism and use a suit from a tarot deck instead?  I love the Rider–Waite, and particularly the suit of Swords for this module.  Each image adds a sense of narrative to the random choices we afford the player, perhaps a memory of the PC that guides one way or the other.  

    Further, I just got my first petit lenormand deck and used that as a two card divination for my PC that added a little flavor to character creation to describe his upbringing.  

Prep your Preference

Protectorate gives us a wonderful spread of NPCs that the players can interact with, and great tables to determine who you meet, and when.  You can enjoy the randomness of what may arise from your rolls, but may prefer to stack the deck with what interests you the most.  

    What spoke to me was a tortured Gaoler who suspected foul play, but was too overburdened to do anything about it, and an absolute rascal in the Tax Collector.  I envisioned an investigation, some altercation, and then an execution for all to see.  To put my ducks in a row, I made sure that the sympathetic but detached Gaoler was the first encounter the players bumped into, and then the brusque tax collector arguing with a commoner (complaining about the hired thug that robbed her home in Lastor’s name).  I then dropped a hint from Brenin that the tax numbers aren’t quite adding up, and the players took it from there. 

    After reading through, decide whose storyline or which hook grabs you the most.

Level the Henchmen

Did one of your PCs just tragically lose their 1st level character?  Do they have a loyal henchman that is somehow still alive?  Send them to Jenulane!  Drop a hint to the players that the Protectorate is the closest place nearby to sanctify and properly bury the fallen hero, and have a vision guide the prospective henchman to his destiny!

    Alternatively, have players who wish to bolster their henchman send them to the Protectorate to try their chances at the glory of Gorhan.

Conclusion

    Protectorate is a fantastic addition to the funnel repertoire, the only one-player 0 level module in my collection (though I’ve run The Hounds of Halthrag Keep that way successfully!).  The location, NPCs and hooks are very high quality, and should easily find a place in your game if you’re running a hex-style campaign in a setting with a bleak medieval vibe.  

    This particular module feels like a L/N training ground for a Warrior or Cleric of Gorhan, but it does leave me wanting more of this type of module!  Imagine if we had a handful of these for different types of prospective level 1 characters.  I hope we see more from Baran, the concept is excellent.  

    The Protectorate of Jenulane is a unique and versatile addition to any judge's shelf—a waystation, a training ground, a cast of NPCs ready to complicate your players' lives.  More than that, it left this judge with an itch to write more of these one-on-one DCC scenarios: a tunnel collapse that drops into an ancient ruin for the fighter-to-be, a Lankhmar-esque heist for the fledgeling thief, an ancient tome that opens into a strange world for an aspiring wizard. That's the mark of a module firing on all cylinders. Don your helm, and go forth with Gorhan's blessing.